CoG: Create New Character
by NorthSouthGorem
Summary: On his 12th Birthday, Uzumaki Naruto thought he'd lost his mind. He started seeing things that no one else could see; people's names floating over their heads, strange rectangles with confusing messages popping up in front of his face. What does it all mean? What prompted all of this? NaruHina, small harem. Will have elements of other crossovers. A chronicle of the Gormim.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Ah, fuck it. I can't focus on anything else. I'm gonna start a new fic. Y'all better appreciate this! This here is the first ever fic involving The Gamer. For those who've never read it, it's a Manhwa (Korean web-comic) that can be found on most major manga sites. Check it out, for it is kickass.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Gamer.

"Speech"  
Text/[System Message]  
_Thoughts_  
_Inner Being to Outer Being_  
**Bijuu/Jinchuuriki form/Boss**  
**Jutsu/Skill/Command**

Prologue: A Job For The Game Master

Normally, those who set eyes on Han Jee-Han would never think there was anything out of the ordinary concerning him. He was of average height, with dark brown hair and brown eyes that glinted with a crafty intelligence. His face, though not overly attractive, was not ugly either, and had an overall honest look to it. He wore a pair of worn blue jeans and a black short-sleeved shirt with a pocket on the front.

To an outsider, that's all he would appear to be. An ordinary young man who had graduated five years ago from high school. Indeed, that much was true. However, those who knew him with any familiarity would say that that was only one side of him. Outside of his school life, he was a member of what certain people called 'the Abyss.' A person who was born with a special power, a 'Natural Ability User' born from the will of Gaia.

Han Jee-Han was the possessor of one of the most dangerous abilities in the world: The Gamer. A power which allowed its user to interact with the world around him as if it were a video game. More specifically an RPG, complete with Skills, Level Ups, Drops and Dungeons.

In the five years since his power had awakened, Jee-Han had grown from an ordinary high school student to a formidable powerhouse, and then even further, surpassing every obstacle that the Abyss threw his way. Finally, his ability reached a level that even he hadn't expected.

All of his acquaintances agreed that, upon learning this fact, the young man's gloating had been both long and insufferable.

Of course, despite effectively possessing godlike power, Jee-Han's ability was still subject to the law of Gaia. Meaning, any attempt to affect the world majorly would be met with a fatal spate of misfortune. At least, he assumed so, as he had no wish to test this theory.

Another problem facing him was neither new nor small. It was one of his own making, a conundrum that he had struggled with ever since learning of his capabilities.

He no longer had any real challenges. Oh sure, there were many times when hunters and assassins from the Abyss had tried to do him in, but by now he could dispatch them easily. There just wasn't enough excitement for him any more. No surprises. Damn his ridiculously high INT and WIS! _I need something to throw me for a loop. I don't care what._

Little did he realize, as he lay on his bed thinking this, that something strange would happen to him very soon indeed. Stranger than usual, at least.

*Shoop*

Jee-Han opened his eyes at the sound. A blue rectangle had appeared, floating in front of him at eye level: a system message. Such things were the norm with his power, so he was not all that surprised to see it. What was written on it, however, gave him pause.

[You have received a Private Message.]

[Do you wish to view the message? Accept (Y) Decline(N)]

"A message?" he asked himself. Then the implication hit him. The only way someone could send him a message via his ability was if they were partied up with him. At that moment, however, Jee-Han was 'alone.' So who could be communicating with him? Frowning, he reached up and jabbed at Accept.

Instantly another rectangle appeared.

Good day to you, Han-nim. You are probably wondering who I am, how I'm doing this and why I'm contacting you. The how is unimportant and I shall get to the why in a moment. My name is Storia Daisho, and I have an offer for you, The Gamer. If you wish to meet me, you need only use your [Change Server] Command to reach me. Fear not; regardless of whether or not you accept my offer, I shall ensure that you are returned to your own world at the appropriate time. What do you say?

Jee-Han stared at the message for a long moment, trying to process it. _An offer? This guy sent me a message with my own ability...to make me an offer? And he knows about 'Change Server' as well?_ Back during the days when he'd experimented with his power, he had come across a series of commands that in an MMO made sense, but in real life gave him a foreboding feeling. Things like Change Server, Change Character, and Log Off. _What on earth could those things do to a guy in the real world?_ So thinking, he had never used those commands. And yet... He thought about the message again. This Storia Daisho person seemed to not only know about his power, but also that Jee-Han even had those commands.

He didn't even know if the guy could be trusted. He'd never heard the name Storia Daisho in his life, but should he really play it safe this time? His high INT was telling him 'yes,' but his WIS said 'maybe.'

"Argh!" he growled, running a hand through his dark hair, "What the hell. I'll apologize to the others later if it doesn't work! **[Change Server!]"**

The world around him blinked out, leaving him standing (or was it lying?) in complete blackness. "Oh shit."

However, even as he started to panic, another system message appeared. [Connecting to Server Hub.]

And just like that his heart rate slowed down again and he sighed. "Geez," he grumbled to himself, "Why am I still doing stupid shit like this? Also, where am I?" As he looked around, he realized that the surroundings were nowhere near as featureless as he'd first thought. He was standing in a spacious corridor, dimly lit and lined with bookshelves. _A library?_ Absently, he looked up to see what was illuminating the room and gasped. "What the-?"

While the height of the bookshelves was not too unusual (reaching about ten to eleven feet), what lay beyond them filled Jee-Han with shock. Instead of a ceiling, the top of the library opened out onto a stretch of…something. It was dark mostly, but he could faintly make out indistinct colors. Beyond that, however, was an abyss that stretched on forever, infinitely distant, while at the same time pressing down on him with almost malicious closeness. Faintly, Jee-Han wondered if staring at it for so long was a smart thing.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting," said a voice, making him jump. Looking around, he saw a man walking serenely down the aisle toward him.

In many RPGs, there was almost always a 'Wizard-type' or 'Mage-type' character. The NPCs of that archetype usually resembled the famous Gandalf of old; gray hair, beard and robes, often with a staff of some sort. This man, Jee-Han thought privately, fit that description almost perfectly. He wore loose robes of a soft gray material, his hair was gray, and behind black-framed glasses, a pair of gray eyes pierced the young man shrewdly. A silver cane trailed jauntily from his hand. In fact, the only thing he was missing was a beard. But he did not need it, as the air around him was supercharged with an aura of mysticism. As he approached, Jee-Han automatically glanced over his head. As was normal for his ability, the old man's name appeared above him.

[The Narrator]  
Lv. ? Storia Daisho

Once more Jee-Han found himself gripped by confusion.

In certain video games, a character's level could become obscured if their level was greatly removed from the player's own. Jee-Han had experienced such a phenomenon before, with his own mother, his friend's grandfather, and the Korean Branch Manager of the Abyss Auction. In all their cases however, even though their levels were obscured to him, he could still estimate it by the number of question marks their level had. Even his mother's level had been in the double digits.

So why did this man have only one?

The man in question (Storia?) smiled secretively. "Seeing something interesting, Han-nim?"

"Ah," Jee-Han shook himself out of his stupor, "S-sorry. It's just that all this is pretty out of the ordinary."

"That is as I intended it," Storia said, nodding firmly, "You doubtlessly know my name already, so we shall dispense with the introductions. Thank you for coming to hear me out."

The black-haired man shrugged, slightly uncomfortably. "Yeah, well…you did say you had an offer for me, and I didn't really have any reason to refuse."

"Nevertheless, I'd feared your caution might rule over your curiosity," said the gray man calmly, "However, that is beside the point. I do indeed have an offer for you, Han-nim. An opportunity for, among other things, a paying job."

That caught the college student's attention in an instant. A job had been one of the few things that, for all his power, was still beyond his grasp. "And what would this job involve?"

Storia grinned at the question. Jee-Han gulped, as the expression revealed a wide mouth full of sharp teeth. "You are aware of the Gaia Theory in your world, correct?"

He nodded.

"Well, tell me," Storia's eyes flashed a piercing silver, "Have you ever heard of…the Multiverse Theory?"

The Gamer's Mind Skill suddenly triggered, dispelling the younger man's nervousness. "The Multiverse Theory," he murmured, "That's the one where there are an infinite number of worlds, each one created by a choice, right?"

"More or less," conceded the gray man, "However, that is not the whole truth. You see, it is not only choices that create the world. It is ideas. For instance, worlds where all those games you enjoy are real. My job as the Narrator is to record the stories of the worlds."

For some reason, Jee-Han didn't feel too surprised. "So other, completely different worlds besides mine exist, is what you're saying," he mused, "Interesting." He looked at the other man. "And? What exactly do you want from me?"

Storia nodded as if satisfied. "What I want is for you to...help me make stories, so to speak. Your power would cause quite a stir in a great many worlds, you know."

"But, won't Gaia strike me down...?"

"Not so," he replied, shaking his head, "Most of these worlds are full of supernatural happenings on their own. Your involvement will not draw Gaia's wrath. There will be some danger besides that, of course, but I am certain you will be able to handle it. Although, even if you cannot...I will personally ensure that your life will not be lost. In addition, I will pay quite handsomely for each story. The reward need not be monetary either; I am not one to boast excessively, but I am a magic-user of considerable power. Should you desire to learn a certain Skill or even ask a favor of me, I will gladly do my utmost to provide. My...organization is most accommodating to those allied with us."

Jee-Han remained silent. Truth be told, he was sorely tempted by the offer; Storia had a way with words to be sure. "If I ever wanted to quit, or there was a 'story' I didn't want to do, what would happen?"

"You may leave our service at any time," Storia assured him, seemingly unbothered by the question, "As for qualms with stories...well, at worst I hope we could at least negotiate conditions. Some things simply must be done."

"...I see. Well, that's certainly a relief," sighed the black-haired young man. "Alright then, how about I take a look at one story first, and then decide where to go from there?"

Storia smiled widely and proclaimed, "Excellent! Let us begin. Now, I must warn you, each story _will_ take up a considerable amount of time. Not to worry, though, you won't die of old age, and no time will pass in your own world. I will ensure that."

Jee-Han sweatdropped at the man's eagerness and nodded. "Y-yeah, you mentioned that before...so, what's this first story?"

The silver-haired mage smiled again, mischievously.

Chapter 1: Happy Birthday, Gamer

Uzumaki Naruto was not, at eleven years old, a timid child. On the contrary, anybody who knew him would (grudgingly) admit that the blond boy never backed down from a challenge. Granted, since he was still young, he had relatively few 'challenges' (aside from being rather poor and having little to no respect among his peers) but the principle was there. For as long as he could remember, Naruto had always had to endure the nearly universal expressions of distrust, disgust, and even disdain (as well as words that did not start with D) that the villagers gave him.

Despite all that Naruto swore that, one day, he would rise up to the highest level of Shinobi, the Hokage, and finally earn the respect and awe of everyone around him.

Of course, that was much easier said than done. Despite having been allowed to start at the Shinobi Academy two years early, Naruto found himself at a loss. Try as he might, he just couldn't keep up with the teacher's lectures, and his grades quickly fell to the bottom. He could have blamed it on the theory stuff being boring, but even the practical lessons were difficult. He could barely get his shuriken and kunai to hit the tree properly, let alone the target. Asking the teacher for help after class didn't help any either, as they always said that they had no time (which he highly doubted).

All of this, mixed with his poor chakra control, meant that he failed the Genin Exam miserably, twice. Now he was forced to take the final year for a third time, this time surrounded by children who were actually his age. However, even there his attempts to make friends were less than successful. A couple of them were at least cordial to him, but that was all. Worst of all however was Uchiha Sasuke, the so-called Rookie of the Year. From the first time they'd sparred together in Taijutsu, Naruto had disliked the brooding, apathetic boy. Part of it was because of the air he projected around him, an aura that said 'this is a waste of time,' despite excelling at every subject that the blond kept flunking. The fact that every girl in class fawned on him, shrilly expressing their encouragements (with nary a response from the Uchiha) only irritated him all the more. Fortunately he was not the only one, as a majority of the other boys disliked the boy too, though more for the latter reason than the former.

So no, despite his never-give-up attitude, Uzumaki Naruto could not truthfully say that his school life was very productive.

However, all of that changed on the morning of his twelfth birthday.

*Shoop*

[By Sleeping, all of your HP and MP have been restored.]  
[All Status Effects have been dispelled.]

Naruto's bright blue eyes snapped open and he stared uncomprehendingly at the blue rectangles floating above him at eye level. No sooner had he read the words upon them than they disappeared with a flicker. "Hey!" he said reflexively, but they did not come back. "Must've still been dreaming," he mumbled to himself, sitting up. Oddly enough, he didn't still feel tired, as was usual for him when he woke up. Glancing at his alarm clock, he grinned. "Alright! I actually woke up on time! Now I won't be late." So saying, he pushed himself out of bed and went about his apartment, preparing for the day. Unlike most days, the blond boy wasn't in a complete panic, scrambling to get everything done at the last second. The fact that his birthday made it all the better. It was only until he stepped outside his apartment building and onto the street did his good mood come to a standstill.

The villagers of Konohagakure were all milling about the dirt roads, minding their own business. This was nothing unusual. What _was_ unusual, however, were the words. Naruto stared at the blue text, each of which told of some sort of title, a number and what seemed to be the person's name, floating over everyone's head. "What the hell?" he asked himself quietly. Then he shook himself and took off towards the Academy, where hopefully things would be more normal.

…Well, not _too_ normal; it was really boring at school.

However, arriving at the Academy did little to help Naruto's opinion on his mental state.

*Shoop* [You have arrived at the Konoha Academy Zone. As a Konoha Academy Student, you are granted benefits by being in this Zone. Mastery Rate increased by 10%. EXP +25%.]

All Naruto could manage was a flat, "What." He stood just inside the doors of the building, staring blankly at the blue rectangle that had suddenly appeared. "Mastery Rate? EXP? What the _hell_ is going on?!" As the rectangle vanished once again, Naruto ran for the classroom. Maybe Iruka-sensei would know what was going on.

As Naruto dashed to the door and opened the door, he called, "Hey, Iruka-sensei!" But even as the tanned, scar-nosed man turned to look at him, the blond's stomach sank. Floating above the teacher's head was another of those weird signs.

[Academy Instructor]  
Lv. 25 Umino Iruka

_If Iruka-sensei doesn't notice those things, he probably can't help me,_ Naruto thought to himself. So instead of asking him for advice, he only grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Eh…I'm not late today!" he said brightly.

Blinking, Iruka looked up at the clock and gained a pleasantly surprised expression. "So you are. Good work, Naruto. Just try to make that into a habit, okay? A good Shinobi is punctual, after all."

*Shoop* [You arrived at class on time. +10.1% EXP]

"Gah!" Naruto jumped back from the sudden appearance of the message. When Iruka only looked at him funny, it only confirmed Naruto's suspicion. Only he could see the rectangular…things. More perturbed than before, today Naruto went to sit somewhat towards the back.

Lessons that day were even more of a bother to the boy than usual, as the phenomenon of the mysterious name tags persisted. Even all of his fellow students carried them over their heads, along with a number. Said numbers were universally in the double-digits, however, unlike Iruka. Most of them were listed as Lv. 10 to 13, though there were a few 14s and 15s scattered among the students. A sudden hunch made Naruto look upward: sure enough, there was a marker above his own head.

[The Gamer]  
Lv. 10 Uzumaki Naruto

"Ugh!" He winced as he realized that his level was the lowest there. While Naruto had no idea what a 'Gamer' was, some small part of him was glad to see that the phenomenon was at least affecting himself as well. It was just that only he could see it. He grimaced when he saw Sasuke, though.

[Uchiha Clansman]  
Lv. 15 Uchiha Sasuke

"Bah," he muttered under his breath, "Of course his is the highest here!"

Under normal circumstances, anyone sitting next to him would have probably just dismissed his words as bitter grapes, given that his attitude towards Sasuke was already well-known. However, that day Naruto had ended up accidentally sitting next to a unique student. By unique, of course, I mean that she was the only one who actually cared what he thought. Without meaning to, her voice escaped her mouth. "Um..."

Naruto blinked as a soft, high voice spoke out next to him. He looked around, realizing belatedly that he wasn't sitting in his usual place, and saw who he was sitting next to. It was a girl, with a short hair that a dark enough blue that it might almost be confused for black, and a small, pale round face. However, what stood out the most to him were her eyes. They were strikingly pale, almost completely white with a faint tint of lavender, and seemed to lack a pupil. If it weren't for the fact that she was looking directly at him, a look of slight concern on her face, he would have thought that she was blind. His eyes flicked over her head.

[Hyuuga's Heiress]  
Lv. 14 Hyuuga Hinata

_Okay, so that's her name,_ he thought. "What is it?" he asked.

Confusingly, she ducked her head, a light pink flush coloring her cheeks. "W-well...no, it's nothing...sorry," she mumbled.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her, but went back to staring vacantly at the front of the room. Now, however, he found himself glancing again at his seat-mate, who was looking slightly disappointed about something now. _Weird._

Apart from that incident the rest of that day's lectures went uneventfully. It wasn't until they moved to the physical stuff that things got even weirder.

As usual, towards the end of the day Iruka and Mizuki took the students out behind the school building and instructed them to throw shuriken at targets, one at a time. At this point in their education, all students could hit at least one target. To his frustration, Naruto could only manage two out of five.

When it was her turn to throw, Hyuuga Hinata managed to hit three of the targets. However, they all bounced off the tree, rather than sticking like they normally would.

Iruka congratulated her kindly on getting so many targets, but recommended that she throw the stars harder next time. Hinata nodded without a word and walked back to the group, head low. Naruto didn't know what she looked so disappointed about. "At least you hit more than half of them," he muttered in her direction as she passed. He winced slightly as her head jerked up and she looked at him, apparently surprised. Then, to _his_ surprise, she suddenly smiled. It was such a bright expression that it caught him flatfooted, but then she blushed, ducked her head and turned away. Even from behind, though, he could still see that the back of her neck was still rather pink.

To his great chagrin, Sasuke got all five (as always), which like clockwork got a squeal from all of his fangirls. He was somewhat surprised to see that Hinata did not seem all that interested in the Last Uchiha. Indeed, she winced slightly at the pitch of the squealing, but apart from that gave no reaction to the 'fantastic' feat. He tried to watch the dark-haired boy as he threw the shuriken. Begrudgingly, he had to admit that everything Sasuke did was pretty much spot on, from his stance to the way his wrist snapped as he threw each one. "Tch. Freakin' showoff," he muttered, cringing at the latest squeal.

*Ping!*

Naruto yelped and jumped backwards as another rectangle appeared in front of his face, but this time with a different sound effect.

[A skill has been created through a special action.]  
*PING!*  
[Through continuous observation, a Skill to find the target's information, 'Observe,' has been created.]

"What the hell." Again Naruto found himself staring at the apparition. _A skill…to find the target's information? What? WHAT? WHAT'S GOING ON?!_

"What's wrong with you, idiot?" spluttered Yamanaka Ino, whose foot he'd trodden on.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head apologetically. "Eh, sorry, Ino-san. Thought I saw a bee or something."

"Wimp!" she sniffed. However, she took a step or two back.

_Dumb blonde,_ he thought hypocritically, ignoring the fact that he was blond too. The fact that she was a Sasuke fan-girl made it no more difficult to snark at her. Of course, she was one of the prettier girls in the class, so insulting her would be a bad move in the eyes of the other boys.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Mizuki called. It was his turn.

Still totally bewildered by what had just happened (without anyone noticing, no less!), Naruto stepped up to the practice spot. Iruka handed him five shuriken and indicated a particular tree. It was somewhat distinctive, with four Xs carved in a vertical line along the trunk. "Alright Naruto, you know the drill. Just try to hit as many targets as you can. And _don't_ try to show off and throw all of them at once, alright? I'll have to mark any misses, so you have to be careful."

Naruto sighed. For once, he decided that he just didn't feel like sticking it to the teacher. "Yeah, alright." Some birthday this was turning out to be.

Taking his position, Naruto held a shuriken in one hand. He carefully curled his arm, then with a snap, hurled it at the tree. To his very great surprise, the metal star struck the tree straight on. It was only at the edge of one of the Xs, but it was a hit on the first try! Naruto cheered to himself. It seemed that all his practice was paying off.

*Ping!*  
[A skill has been created through a special action.]  
[Through continuous use of thrown weapons, the skill for freely wielding projectiles, 'Thrown Weapon Mastery,' has been created.]

This time Naruto was not all that surprised. What did surprise him was that a third rectangle, this one colored red, appeared.

[Thrown Weapon Mastery (Passive) Lv. 1 EXP: 0.0%

Allows thrown weapons to be used freely  
Increases attack damage with thrown weapons by 10%  
Increases attack speed with thrown weapons by 10%]

Now, Naruto wasn't necessarily the smartest ninja around. Despite his penchant for elaborate pranks, he wasn't so good at things like math and percentages. However, he could at least get the gist of what this new 'Skill' was saying. _So…the thing at the top says Lv. 1. Does that mean it can get higher 'Lv.s,' whatever those are? And if it does, does that mean I can get better with shuriken? Hm…this is still weird, but kinda cool._ Suddenly aware that some of the other students were jeering at him (though he wasn't quite paying attention to what they were actually saying), Naruto started throwing again.

The second time, the star struck the upper left part of the topmost X. The third one hit dead center on the bottom-most one. With each throw, a smile began to grow on Naruto's face. _I'm doing it. I'm actually getting them!_ Jubilantly, he tossed the last two shuriken in quick succession, hitting the second X from the bottom dead center, then the one above it.

*Ping!*

[Thrown Weapon Mastery has increased. Lv. 1 EXP: 5.6%  
More weapons may be thrown accurately with more frequency.]

"Well done, Naruto!" Iruka congratulated happily, "You've been practicing since the last time, haven't you?"

Not having received praise very often from the scar-nosed teacher, Naruto grinned brightly. "Heheh, yep!" he said, and truthfully he had. If practicing could make him this good, he was definitely on to something. _Maybe this isn't such a bad birthday after all!_

He walked back to the group, hands behind his head and grinning widely at his classmates, all of whom were struck dumb. They all knew that the dead-last was...well, dead last, so seeing him throw weapons almost as well as the class prodigy was shocking.

Hinata opened her mouth as if to say something, struggled for a few seconds, then finally smiled at Naruto as he approached. Although he didn't really know what she was happy about, he smiled back, making her fidget slightly.

Once Ino had gone, Iruka gathered everyone together. "Alright you guys, since you all managed to do well with the throwing, we'll skip having to do it over again just for today. You can go home early; tomorrow we've got Taijutsu spars, so I hope you've been practicing!"

Some kids groaned at the prospect. Naruto was one of them; he was always on the receiving end of particularly humiliating fights. Granted he'd get the offender back later with a good prank, but his poor performance still stung his pride.

As the students all wandered away listlessly, Naruto walked with them. "Hnn…" he muttered to himself, "Maybe I can bum some Ramen off of Jiji." By 'Jiji,' he meant the old Sandaime Hokage and by 'some,' he meant 'several bowls at least.' _Maybe while I eat I can figure out what's up with all of this weird stuff,_ he thought.

"U-um!"

A sudden, quiet exclamation made him stop and look around. It was Hyuuga Hinata again, standing just behind him with her arms behind her back. She was glancing off to the side, the pale skin of her face glowing faintly pink. "Yeah?" he asked, making her twitch, "What is it?"

"Uh…w-well," she mumbled, almost so quiet that he had strain his ears to hear, "It's just…um…" Suddenly, she pulled her arms out in front of her, ducked her head and held up a box. "H-here!"

Naruto jumped in surprise at the sudden movement. "Eh?" he asked cluelessly, "What's this?" Seeing her face blush even darker and that she'd started trembling slightly, he quickly took it. "Er, thanks," he said.

Hinata nodded minutely, still looking down and bright red. Then, before he could ask what it was for, she ran past him and disappeared around the corner of the school building.

"Huh?" Naruto articulated, staring after her, "What was that about?" Then he looked at the box. "What's this supposed to be?" He opened it, and gaped at what he saw inside: a pair of dark green goggles. "Wow, this is…cool!" he cried, pulling them out, "Kinda a weird thing to get, but these are nice! Wonder why she got them for me…"

He looked inside the box and spotted a card at the bottom. Written in tiny, very neat handwriting were the words:

Dear Naruto,  
Happy Birthday. I'm sorry these aren't orange, but I hope you like them anyway.  
Lo-  
From,  
Hyuuga Hinata

Naruto's eyes widened at the short message. "She…knew it was my birthday?" Barely anyone realized that October 10th was his birthday. They were usually too busy celebrating the defeat of the Kyūbi no Yoko. In fact, not a one of Naruto's classmates had ever wished him happy birthday. Not that he expected any different, but to see it written in that neat handwriting…Naruto actually felt a little touched. He decided that if he ever had to speak to Hinata again, he'd definitely have to thank her.

First, though, he'd have to see about getting some Ichiraku's!

…

A few hours later, Naruto was sitting at the counter of Ichiraku Ramen. He'd managed to convince Iruka-sensei to spot him for the meal, much to the teacher's dismay. The Hokage had failed to show up, but Naruto wasn't too broken up about it. He'd taken to wearing his new goggles on his forehead, where he would one day place his Hitai-ate.

"Oh my!" said a teenage girl behind the counter teasingly, "Aren't you looking badass today?" She was much taller than Naruto, with a slender, well-proportioned body and brown hair tied back by a kerchief. Over her head were the words [Assistant Ramen Chef] Lv. 5 Ichiraku Ayame.

While the blond already knew her name, having frequented the stand for many years, he was surprised to see that her number was in fact lower than his, despite her being much older than him. _Imagine that…_

"Where'd you get the accessory, Naruto?" asked a middle-aged man. While slightly portly, the man's face continually showed contentment and patience. Over his head it said [Ramen Chef] Lv. 16 Ichiraku Teuchi.

"Ah, well," Naruto rubbed the back of his head, grinning, "I just got these today as a birthday present."

Ayame tried not to sound _too_ surprised. After all, hardly anyone ever gave her young friend gifts of any sort. "Really? Who?"

Naruto frowned slightly as he tried to remember. "Er, I think her name was…Hyuuga Hinata."

Iruka blinked at him. "Really? I've never seen you hang around with her before…"

"That's 'cause I haven't," the blond answered honestly, shrugging, "I mean, even today she only said one actual word to me. Any time I talked to her she just got all red and wouldn't speak. But she gave me these goggles and ran off before I could say anything."

"Aww," cooed Ayame, ruffling Naruto's hair, "Sounds like someone has a crush!"

Naruto flushed and sputtered, "W-wait, hand on a second, what're you talking about?! I don't even know her!"

Teuchi and Iruka only chuckled darkly as the boy quickly became flustered by the girl's teasing.

…

Finally, as the sun started setting, Naruto trudged down back to his apartment building, taking the familiar path to the right floor and room. Absently, he flicked on the light as he entered, crossing the small kitchen/living room area and reaching his bedroom door. "I'm home," he grunted to no one in particular.

"Welcome back."

The boy stopped, frozen. Surely, he'd only imagined that answering voice, right? But it wouldn't hurt to check, just in case. Slowly, ever so slowly, Naruto turned on the spot, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he saw the kitchen table. Seated at the far side of it from him sat a young man with black hair, wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. His expression was passive, but there was a light inside his eyes; a light that conveyed cleverness and a sharp wit.

But what terrified Naruto the most, besides the fact that this person had apparently entered his apartment without the key, was the name over his head.

[Game Master]  
Lv. ? ? ? Han Jee-Han

Even as the sweat multiplied on Naruto's whole body, the man smiled easily. "Good evening, Naruto-kun," he greeted lightly. An unusual accent tinged his words slightly, but he spoke clearly, "Sorry that it took so long to find you, but I couldn't find my way around town. You must have a lot of questions, like what all those things you've been seeing are."

At last, Naruto snapped out of his fear. "You…you know about them?" he asked, "No one else could see them, but those weird rectangles just kept popping up wherever I go. And I can see everyone's names just by looking at them! If you know what's wrong with me, tell me!"

Jee-Han didn't seem all that concerned. He nodded slowly, his sharp eyes examining Naruto calmly. Finally, he leaned back in his chair and stretched. "Well," he groaned, "Might as well sit down, 'cause this'll take a while." Once Naruto had done so, grudgingly, the older man began, "Okay, so, let's start from the beginning: all those things you saw are part of an 'ability' that you now have."

"R-really?" Naruto's eyes widened. "What is it? And how'd I get it?"

"Kekeke," the man snickered, "You sure ask a lot of questions. But that's understandable. You've seen your name-tag, right? That ability is why you're now called 'The Gamer,' whatever you were before. We'll get to what the ability does in a little bit, but…as for how you got it…well, I gave it to you."

…

AN: And _done._ That whole thing went amazingly well. I'm surprised at how quickly the last half of the chapter got done. But anyway, here it is: the first chapter of CoG: Create New Character.

Summary time!

1\. A quick description of Jee-Han and his situation. Please note that the manhwa is still ongoing, and still in the early stages at that. This fic's Jee-Han is from what might happen after the end of the series.  
2\. It has been shown in canon that Jee-Han worries about what he should do with his future, power or no.  
3\. So, of course, he is approached by none other than Storia Daisho himself. If you see any more Gamer crossovers from me, it'll be because of the 'arrangement' that they made here in this fic.  
4\. While The Gamer can see people's level, class and name, the former two may become obscured if the difference between the two people is too great. Storia is so unknown that his level is shown with only one question mark, which is impossible. Normally, Jee-Han would be able to see any one-digit level.  
5\. Naruto's 12th Birthday starts with a System Message blaring in his face. He is understandably confused.  
6\. Remember that they don't have video games in Naruto-verse, let alone RPGs. As such, Naruto has no idea why people are walking around with their names over their heads.  
7\. NaruHina fluff, because I can't help myself. Nothing much comes of it, besides Naruto learning that Hinata exists and what her name is. Right now he just thinks she's a bit odd.  
8\. Shuriken practice. Sasuke owns as usual. Bleh.  
9\. Naruto accidentally creates one of the most useful skills a Gamer can have: Observe. Sadly, he doesn't know how to use Skills yet, seeing as he doesn't know what video games are.  
10\. Then he manages to create a passive skill for throwing weapons. This kinda speaks for itself. And yes, it _is_ that easy. That's what the ability does.  
11\. Hinata works up the nerve to give Naruto a birthday present, which is his goggles. Suggestions for stats/abilities on the goggles would be nice.  
12\. Brief Ramen scene in which Ayame teases Naruto.  
13\. In The Gamer, there is a significant level difference between ordinary people and Ability Users. The standard High School Student is about lv. 2 or 3. Even Jee-Han started out at lv. 3. However, the Naruto-verse is mostly populated by people who are trained from a very young age to become ninjas. As such, 12 year old Naruto starts out as a lv. 6, as do many other Academy Students, while older people like Ayame (lv. 5) and Teuchi (lv. 16) are much lower.  
14\. Naruto returns home only to find that Jee-Han has broken into his house.  
15\. Yes, the amount of question marks do make a difference. Jee-Han's level is in the triple digits. Seeing as there are still many things up in the air in The Gamer canon, it is unlikely that I will ever reveal what it is.  
16\. The explanations begin.  
17\. I actually went back and made an edit. Jee-Han's motivation for going along with this is no longer his lack of a job; instead, he's just really bored and wants something interesting out of his life now that he's the Game Master.  
18\. Second edit: all of the Academy students (plus Iruka) now have higher levels.

So. If you have any questions after all that, be sure to ask in a review or PM. I will do my best to answer. Even if you don't have a question, though, I would greatly appreciate it if you were to leave a review anyway.

As a gift, here are Naruto's current stats, as seen by Jee-Han. Note that not everything will be shown here.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto  
Class: The Gamer  
Gender: Male  
Job: Final Year Academy Student  
Title: Yondaime's Legacy  
Level: 10  
Next Level: 21.6%  
Age: 12  
Birth date: 10/10/? ?  
Attribute: Wind, Demonic  
HP: 900  
MP: 1500  
STR: 20  
VIT: 31  
DEX: 16  
INT: 6  
WIS: 10  
LUK: 18  
Status: [TBR]  
Background: [TBR]  
Current Emotions: Trepidation, Resolve, Loneliness

Anyway, hope you enjoyed that little snippet. See you next time.

North South out.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Alright, so I'm still thinking about Gamer stuff. Might as well get started on the next chapter. Also, it seems I was wrong, this is not the first Naruto/The Gamer crossover. There's another one; it's just called Naruto: The Gamer. So...check it out, I guess. First, though, here's a review response.

Indy: And here I thought I was being a pioneer of the crossover. Oh well. As for that fic itself…eh, it's okay.

IMPORTANT NOTICE! AFTER SOME ADVISEMENT BY MY ASSOCIATE KOKUENDG, I WILL BE RAISING THE LEVELS AND STATS OF THE ACADEMY STUDENTS AND NARUTO. SEE THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER TO NOTE THE CHANGES, OR LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS CHAPTER.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Gamer.

"Speech"  
Text/[System Message]  
_Thoughts__  
Inner Being to Outer Being_  
**Bijuu/Jinchuuriki/Boss  
****Jutsu/Technique/Skill**

Chapter 2: The Gamer Goes Through the Tutorial

Naruto sat slumped in a kitchen chair, staring across the table. At the end of his gaze was the black-haired Jee-Han, who was looking back at him calmly.

"So..." Naruto began slowly, "Let's see if I've got this right. You came from a world completely different from my own because some weird old man asked you to help him gather research for a story."

In a distant country, a man with white hair sneezed violently.

"Said man came to you because you have a power. That power allows you to...eh..."

Jee-Han patiently supplied, "Interact with the world as if it's an RPG."

"Right," grunted the blond, not even pretending to understand what an RPG was, "So, the reason you're here is because your power is so strong you can give it to other people. The old man thought it would be cool if you gave it to me. Am I following this right?"

"Yup."

"...Okay, so why should I not just think you're full of shit?"

"Because that wouldn't do anything," Jee-Han said immediately, frowning, "Whether you believe it or not, it's the truth. I've given you the power to learn things really fast, and in any direction. You could become a swordsman in about five times less time than it would take another complete novice, for instance, or you could learn how to do any sort of technique just by picking a book."

_That_ got the effect that he was hoping for. Naruto sat up a bit straighter, his eyes suddenly gleaming with eagerness. If there was one thing he loved, it was cool jutsu. "R-really? I can learn any jutsu? As many as I want, dattebayo?"

"Kekekeke!" laughed Jee-Han, "Knew that'd get your attention! Yeah, you can learn as many jutsu as you want, but you'd have to spend a lot of time training to make them strong."

Naruto just waved that off. "Pfft, training's no big deal. I do that all the time!" Then he yawned. "Not right now, though. I gotta get to sleep." He got up and walked out of the room. "You can use the couch if you want. Night."

The black-haired man stared after the boy in surprise. Then he sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh, what a weird kid. Still…he trains a lot already, does he? I guess that explains his level." He huffed. "Jeez! I wasn't even a Level 5 when I got to High School! But, I guess that'll be fine. I want to see how he'll grow."

[The Next Day]

*Shoop!*

[By Sleeping, your HP and MP have been fully restored.]  
[All Status Effects have been dispelled.]

Naruto stared up sleepily at the rectangles again as he lay in bed. _So that wasn't a dream. I can already tell that those words are gonna get old _real_ fast._ As he shuffled around getting ready for the day, he remembered that they would be having Taijutsu practice at the Academy. "Damn it," he muttered, pulling on his usual orange vest, "Too bad that 'video game power' can't make me better at Taijutsu."

"What's Taijutsu?" called Jee-Han from the living room.

Naruto froze in surprise before remembering his new guest. "Oh, you know, hand-to-hand stuff. I suck at it; Iruka-sensei always says my form's terrible, but I don't really get it."

"Ah. Well, actually, our power _does_ cover that."

The blond stopped, holding his new goggles loosely. "Covers it how?"

"Well-" Jee-Han suddenly interrupted himself, "Actually, get in here already! It's really annoying, talking from separate rooms."

"Yeah yeah," Naruto muttered, entering the kitchen. The young man was seated at the table, which was littered with various pieces of bread and a carton of milk. "Where'd you get that?" he asked as he sat down. Personally he wanted some cup ramen, but he'd take something that wouldn't take three minutes to make.

Jee-Han grinned secretively, taking a bite of the bread. As he did so, Naruto briefly saw a green **'+10'** float away from his mouth. "Well, that's another part of my—er, _our_ power."

"Just how many parts does it have?" Naruto deadpanned, eye twitching as he watched more green numbers float away from his guest's head.

"Hm…they kinda overlap at points, so it's hard to tell, but I think there are…five main parts. But that's not important right now; we're talking about that Taijutsu thing, right?"

Naruto bit into his piece of bread **(+5!)** and said thickly, "Yeah. What do you mean when you said that our power covers it?"

Jee-Han scratched his head. "If you knew what video games were, this'd be so much easier to explain," he mumbled, "Alright, let's go with an example. Yesterday, while you were doing…whatever you normally do, did any System Messages pop up?"

The blond grimaced. "Those weird rectangles? Yeah, they scared the crap out of me."

"Those are a standard thing, you'll get used to them. Anyway, at any point, did you do something special? And after that, did you get a pink system message that said something like-"

"'A new skill was created?'" Naruto supplied, nodding more animatedly, "Yeah, twice. Something about a skill for, er, gathering information, and a skill for thrown weapon mastery."

Jee-Han blinked. "Throwing weapons? Really?" Then he shook his head, "No, more importantly, you got Observe already? That's really good, that's like one of the most basic Gamer skills."

"So what's it mean?" asked Naruto.

Pausing, the Korean man gathered his thoughts. "Right…so, one of the biggest parts of The Gamer's power is 'Skills.' Think of the power like a giant notebook: if you perform a special action enough times, that action gets recorded or written in that book as a skill. After that, you can use that skill again whenever you want."

Now Naruto was growing excited. "Is that what you meant when you said I could learn any jutsu I wanted really quickly?"

Jee-Han nodded. "Yeah. Both of the skills you've gotten are called 'Passive Skills.' That means the skills don't cost you anything to use, like Observe, and they're always in use, like Thrown Weapon Mastery. However, in order to make Observe gather information, you have to use it like an Active skill. To do that, just look at whatever you want information on and say 'Observe.' I recommend you do that a _lot_ because the higher Observe's Level is, the more information you can get."

"Right." Naruto glanced at a clock hanging on the wall and grimaced. "Crap! I need to go!" He quickly exited.

With a snort, Jee-Han started gathering up the foodstuffs and stuffing them back in his Inventory. "Well, at least he's got the gist of it now. I wonder what sorts of skills he'll make."

Despite being in a rush to leave the apartment, Naruto's journey to the Academy was taken at a much calmer pace. The reason for this was that for anything that caught his eye, he'd stop and say **'Observe.'** Whenever he did, another rectangle (or a System Message, as Jee-Han seemed to call them) would pop in front of him, describing whatever he was looking at.

[Orange.  
Grown at a local farm.  
An edible fruit, good for the body.  
+15 HP  
Heals Status Effect Inflammation.]

Or...

[Medium Quality Wooden Crate.  
Made by a local construction company.  
Useful for storing a large amount of objects.]

Or even...

[Kaneda Weapon Shop.  
Owned by Kaneda Tenka.  
Carries various Ninja Weapons for Sale.]

Things like that. When he tried to Observe a living thing, the result wasn't that different.

[Kamizuki Izumo Lv. 27  
HP: 575 MP: 950  
A Chūnin in the service of Konohagakure no Sato. Carries the ability to use Chakra.]

And so it went on, Naruto continually muttering **"Observe"** at everything. The fourth time he did this, another System Message appeared.

*Ping!*

[Observe's level has increased by 1. More details can now be Observed.]

Sure enough, now whenever he used the skill on people, it would then list another number along their HP. "Hm," he mumbled, "Wonder what that's for." By the time Naruto got to the Academy, his Observe skill had leveled up twice more, putting it at Level 4. With it, the information gained greatly increased. As he entered the classroom, he saw Iruka and muttered **"Observe"** once more.

[Umino Iruka  
Class: Academy Instructor  
Job: Konoha Chūnin  
Title: Fair Teacher  
Gender: Male  
Age: 21  
Level: 25  
Next Level: 49.7% EXP  
HP: 630 (630) MP: 650  
STR: 32  
VIT: 20  
DEX: 32  
INT: 25  
WIS: 26  
LUK: 8

Instructor at Konohagakure's Shinobi Academy. A man who treats all of his students fairly, but is occasionally strict. A Konoha Chūnin of modest ability, Umino Iruka possesses the capability to use chakra. While his parents were killed in the Kyuubi attack 12 years ago, he endeavors to be supportive of Uzumaki Naruto.]

The last sentence made him pause on the way to his seat. What would the Kyuubi attack have to do with him? He was born on the same day, true, but...even as a small seed of suspicion began to grow within him, he shook off the thought and continued on, sitting in the same place as the day before.

As students began arriving for the day, Naruto watched them out of the corner of his eye, thinking. Occasionally, out of curiosity, he'd use Observe on them, but didn't learn too much interesting. When Sasuke entered, however (much to the joy of his assembled fan club), Naruto did not hesitate to use the skill.

[Uchiha Sasuke  
Class: Uchiha Clansman  
Job: Academy Student  
Title: Self-Appointed Avenger  
Gender: Male  
Age: 12  
Level: 15  
Next Level: 75.8% EXP  
HP: 400 (400) MP: 400  
STR: 28  
VIT: 16  
DEX: 19  
INT: 12  
WIS: 7  
LUK: 7

The last Uchiha in Konohagakure. Uchiha Sasuke has sworn vengeance on his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, after the latter murdered their clan and fled Konoha. Possesses the capability of using chakra. Also possesses the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, but has forgotten that he has already awoken it. Sasuke works hard to develop and maintain high-level skills, but is arrogant, considers everyone in his age-group beneath him, and feels that working with others is a waste of time.]

Naruto wasn't all that surprised by that last part, but the revelation that the boy's brother had been responsible for the infamous Uchiha Massacre did give him a little pause. _So...he's got no one, like me,_ he thought. Then he grunted to himself and shrugged. _He's still an ass about it, though._

*Ping!* [Observe's Level has increased by 1. More details can now be Observed.]

When Hinata entered, Naruto gave her a friendly wave, prompting a squeak from her in answer. For a moment, he wondered if he should Observe her, but decided against it. He did, however, remember to thank her.

"Yo, Hinata!" The girl turned a brighter red, but nodded silently to show that she'd heard him. "Thanks for those goggles the other day! I like them a lot!" He touched the aforementioned accessory, which he was now wearing on his forehead.

"Ah-" For a second, Naruto thought that she would again fall silent, but then she ducked her head and said quietly, "Y-you're welcome. It was nothing..."

Truthfully, the boy had never received many presents in his life, so from his point of view it was a lot more than nothing. However, he was unable to say so, as Iruka chose that moment to call for silence.

"Alright you guys, if you'll remember, I told you yesterday that we would be having Taijutsu practice today," said the teacher, once everyone had fallen quiet, "So be sure to remember your stances when we go outside. First, though, we'll be reviewing some the basic Chakra control exercises, as well as some of the general uses that come from Chakra manipulation."

Naruto groaned. Chakra control was, like most Academy subjects, his weakest point. Even he knew that chakra control was required for jutsu, but his was bad enough that he could barely perform two of the three Academy basic jutsu with any kind of consistency. However, he remembered Jee-Han's words about his new ability, and how it would allow him to learn and master anything he set out to do. So he did his best to pay attention to what Iruka was saying.

It was more or less everything he knew already, though he'd forgotten the finer details. Chakra was a mixture of both physical and mental energy, which was combined inside the body's chakra coils and distributed through the chakra circulatory system. If asked, Naruto would have no idea what the latter looked like, but that wasn't as important. Chakra control, meanwhile, was exactly what it sounded like: the ability to manipulate one's chakra. This helped in performing Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, as well as using the energy for other things, such as increasing one's own speed and strength.

Once the explanations were done, Iruka and Mizuki started handing the students leaves. The goal of course was to use chakra to stick the object to a certain point on one's body, usually the forehead. When Iruka handed Naruto his leaf, he obligingly stuck it to his head and began focusing. As usual, while he could feel the abnormally chaotic flow of his chakra, he noted that it was hardest to feel in his own head. Nevertheless, he slowly managed force a certain amount of the blue (in his mind's eye) force into that area, and then to where he felt the leaf on his forehead, held there by his own finger. From there it was somewhat tricky, but he slowly forced the chakra out through his skin, where it spread across the underside of the leaf. Tentatively he took his finger away, but the sensation of the leaf remained. It was stuck to his forehead.

"Yes! I did it!"

*Ping!*

This time he didn't jump, though he did gasp a little as the System Message appeared.

[A skill was created through a special action.]

[Through continuous effort, the skill for manipulating the energy in one's body, 'Chakra Control,' was created.]

Naruto's eyes widened. _Even Chakra control can become a skill?_

[Chakra Control (Passive) Lv. 1 EXP: 0.0%

In the ages following the Rikudō Sennin's teachings, the ability to manipulate a combination of the body's physical and mental energies has become well-known. With the ability to control one's chakra comes the ability to mold it more finely. The level of Chakra Control improves with the user's INT.

Lowest to Low grade Genjutsu techniques can be performed successfully.  
Lowest to Intermediate-Low grade Ninjutsu techniques can be performed successfully.  
MP cost of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu Skills reduced by 1%.  
Note: Certain simple techniques require better Chakra Control.]

With every word, a grin slowly stretched across Naruto's face, mindless of the leaf as it fell off. There is was, in black and white. Er, black and pink, rather. He now had a skill for chakra control, and if Jee-Han was to be believed, then now he could practice and get better at it much more quickly than before. It would certainly beat the whopping zero progress he'd made before.

Looking around, the blond noticed that everyone else was still doing the leaf exercise. He quickly stuck the leaf back on and tried again. _Alright, I'll try for longer this time!_

A long while later, Naruto's brow was feeling sore from how much he was furrowing it in concentration. In the end, he had managed to get the leaf to stay on for a good three minutes at a time, rather than the few seconds that resulted from his first few tries. Even better, he received another System Message, telling him that Chakra Control's level had increased and that now he could successfully perform 'Lowest to Intermediate grade Ninjutsu techniques.' He still wasn't clear what the grade thing meant, but he could guess. In the meantime, he was happy that something was going right for him.

Finally, Iruka called a halt to the practice, looking rather pleased at all of them. "It's good to see that you can all perform this exercise without problems; I'd hate see anyone falling behind because of a lack of chakra control.

Naruto squirmed in his seat, trying not to let his emotions show on his face. He had an uncomfortable feeling that the teacher had been addressing him in particular.

"Right! Let's move this to the Taijutsu ring outside," said the Chūnin cheerfully, drawing both excited murmurs and groans from the class, Naruto being one of the latter.

A few minutes later, they once more stood outside the academy. This time, however, they were at the Taijutsu sparring area. It wasn't all that special, just a circle drawn in the ground. Naruto eyed it moodily; he'd either gotten beaten up or knocked out of that ring plenty of times in the past.

Mizuki cleared his throat and held up a clipboard. For the first time, Naruto took a moment to look at the man properly. He was not particularly surprised at his appearance: shoulder-length, silvery hair covered by a bandana-style Hitai-ate, along with the standard Chūnin uniform. The label over his head, likewise, was no less interesting

[Academy Instructor]  
Lv. 24 Hitodora Mizuki

Again, that was more or less what he'd expected. Pretending not to look at him, Naruto glanced again at the man out of the corner of his eye and mumbled **"Observe."**

[Hitodora Mizuki  
Class: Academy Instructor  
Job: Konoha Chūnin  
Title: Foul Teacher  
Gender: Male  
Age: 27  
Level: 24  
Next Level: 46.3% EXP  
HP: 645 (645) MP: 660  
STR: 35  
VIT: 21  
DEX: 34  
INT: 24  
WIS: 22  
LUK: 9

Status:  
Status Effect: Animal Cursed Seal [Lowest]

While wearing the mask of a benevolent teacher, unlike his coworker Iruka Mizuki is rotten to the core. Possessed of an inferiority complex, Mizuki prides himself on being bereft of morals and teamwork. He possesses an irrational hatred of both Uzumaki Naruto and Umino Iruka. Specializes in the use of Large Shuriken, and possesses a dormant Animal Cursed Seal from Orochimaru of the Sannin. Mizuki hates thinking that someone is looking down on him.]

Suddenly, alarm bells started going off in Naruto's head as he read the System Message. _Mizuki-sensei...hates me? What? But he's always so...well, not _so_ nice, but he never did anything bad, right?_ There was, of course, no answering message, but he was left wondering about his teacher.

Meanwhile, several pairs of students had already gone into the ring. As he hadn't paid attention, he didn't really know who won what, but he did briefly see Sakura stick her tongue out at Ino as she exited, apparently victorious. Normally, he might have congratulated her (however little it might ingratiate her towards him), but he still felt preoccupied by what he had just learned.

Finally, Iruka called out, "Alright Naruto, let's see how you do."

There was a bout of sniggering from the rest of his classmates, but Naruto ignored them as he walked towards the ring. As he passed her, he thought he heard Hinata mumble something, but couldn't catch it.

Waiting for him on the opposite side of the ring was Sasuke, looking bored and aloof as usual. The moment he entered the circle, another System Message appeared. This one, however, was different.

[Quest Alert

Academy Assignment: Defeat Sasuke

As part of an in-class sparring session, you must fight Uchiha Sasuke using only Taijutsu. If possible, try to win by knocking him out of the ring or making him surrender.

Completion Award: 1800 EXP  
Increased Respect from Iruka.

Completion Failure: 600 EXP]

[Yes/No]

Naruto blinked. The description was simple enough, but for a second he couldn't help but feel confused. _I still don't know what EXP means, but...does this mean that I can actually win here?_ Slowly, a grin spread across his face. As much as he knew that Sasuke _was_ actually better than him at Taijutsu, that he could never best him in the ring, the wording of the 'Quest Alert' hinted at a chance to him. A tiny chance that maybe, just maybe, there could be a victory here.

"Are you ready, Naruto?" asked Iruka.

He was answered by a much wider grin than normal from the blond. "You bet!" he said cheerfully.

**[Yes]** confirmed the System Message.

Sasuke merely looked at him as disdainfully as always. "Hmph. You won't even lay a hit on me, loser."

As expected, Naruto felt a wave of hot anger at the insult, but at the same time remembered that rushing in was what got him beaten the last few times as well. "Yeah? Is that a promise? 'Cause unlike you, asshole, I always keep mine: your ass will be over that line when I'm done with you!"

"Like you even could, dead-last."

Before Naruto could snap back, Iruka interrupted harshly, "Alright, cut the trash talk you two! Now, make the Seal of Confrontation."

Instantly both students made half of a Ram sign, glowering intensely at each other.

"Begin!"

Each boy ran forward, Naruto lashing out with a punch and Sasuke dodging around it easily. Before Naruto could react, Sasuke grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around and threw him off balance, before handily flipping him over to land heavily on the ground. Even as Naruto tried to regain his bearings, the dark-haired boy was on him in an instant, knees straddling either side of his stomach and with a fist cocked back.

"Surrender," he growled. As always, Naruto could see the dark, barely suppressed anger in his black eyes. After Observing him, he knew what that anger was directed towards, but he also knew what was coming next if he were to refuse.

So of course, there was only one answer to give. "Like hell," he said, teeth bared in a snarl, but even as he spoke, he twisted his head sharply to the side; Sasuke's fist smacked into the ground where it had just been and bounced off.

As the Uchiha briefly flinched in pain and surprise, Naruto suddenly squirmed, supporting himself with his elbows. He wrenched his legs out from underneath Sasuke and pressed his feet against his chest. This time it was Sasuke's turn to react too slowly as he was shoved clean off of his opponent, falling back and landing hard on his ass near the edge of the circle.

Naruto quickly rolled back onto his feet and put up his fists, grinning again. He had finally managed to counter Sasuke's previously-incomprehensible throw. Now to follow through on his promise. He charged at his sparring partner, who immediately got over his confusion and intercepted him with a fast, straight punch that caught him solidly in the cheek. Even with the shock and impact, though, Naruto did not falter. His foot came down hard in a single determined step and he pushed back, driving his own fist into Sasuke's stomach with a sharp cry of exertion. Then, as the dark-haired boy reflexively doubled up, Naruto took another small step, wound up with his other fist and punched. His fist caught Sasuke in the chest, and then he pushed even harder with a shout, the boy's feet actually leaving the ground for a second as he was thrown from the ring.

Naruto stopped, breathing hard and with his fist still out. He looked at it in surprise, and then switched his gaze to Sasuke. _Hey...did I just...?_

"Well would you look at that," he heard Iruka mutter, clearly impressed, before declaring more loudly, "The winner of this spar is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Instantly there was an outcry from Sasuke's fan club, followed quickly by the rest of the class telling them to pipe down.

Sasuke climbed to his feet, looking quite angry. Naruto had a suspicion that if Iruka were not there to stop him, the Uchiha would be coming after him with a vengeance. _Well, not like I'd just let him, either._ Feeling deservedly smug, the blond decided to get in the last word. "Told you I'd keep my promise."

Unbidden, Sasuke's eyes flashed and his fists clenched.

"Now for the Seal of Reconciliation."

Naruto grimaced, remembering that they were supposed to 'apologize' to each other at the end of each spar. However, he admitted to himself that it would be pointless to antagonize his opponent any further. Besides which, he could always just prank him later. So he held out a hand, index and middle fingers extended towards Sasuke.

For a long moment, the boy glowered at him, making no move to return the gesture. Finally though, after a glare from Iruka, he reluctantly walked forward and linked his fingers with Naruto's. They broke apart quickly, and Sasuke pushed past him, now as moody as Naruto had been before the match.

As Naruto followed him, it started to dawn on him that he had just _won_. He'd actually beaten Uchiha Sasuke, the current favorite for the Rookie of the Year. Of course, all of his fangirls were now glaring at him with enough heat that he imagined he might burst into flames.

_Not like they can do anything, though,_ he thought smugly, _I won, fair and square. Hey, wasn't that Quest thing supposed to give me a-_ *Ping!* _-Oh, there it is!_

[Gained 1800 Experience.]

[Your Level has increased by 1.]

[A Special Skill was created through a special action.]

His eyes widened. Putting aside the Level thing, he'd even made a new skill?

[Through continuous combat and practice, the skill for fighting without weapons, 'Unarmed Mastery,' was created.]

[Through continuous perseverance in the face of attacks, the skill for raising one's fighting spirit, 'Kiai,' was created.]

[Through continuously attacking, the skill for dealing a powerful blow, 'Power Strike,' was created.]

By now Naruto's bright blue eyes had grown so wide that the other students were looking nervously at him. Noticing the odd glances, Naruto shook his head and forced his expression back to normal. Or at least, he managed to get his eyes back in his sockets, before he read the new pink System Messages.

[Unarmed Mastery (Passive) Lv. 1 EXP: 0.0%

Allows the user to freely fight while unarmed.

+10% attack damage without weapons  
+5% attack speed]

[Kiai (Active) Lv. 1 EXP: 0.0%

A technique to psych up the user and raise their confidence. Uses an exhalation of breath or a shout during an attack in order to increase the damage that a normal strike deals.

MP Cost: 15  
+10% STR  
+30% attack damage  
+25% chance to ignore enemy attacks  
Duration: 5 sec]

[Power Strike (Active) Lv. 1 EXP: 0.0%

Strikes the target with a strong force.

MP Cost: 30  
+15% Critical chance  
+50% attack damage]

This time Naruto opted to cover his mouth under the guise of scratching his face in order to hide his wide grin. _These are all awesome! The math stuff is still confusing, though, but this Power Strike thing sounds pretty easy. Maybe Jee-Han-san can explain all the other stuff later..._

Shrugging, he dismissed the skill messages and turned his attention back to what the rest of the class was doing.

It turned out that he need not have bothered. Apart from a few more sparring matches, not that much more happened. Afterwards, they all went back inside for some more theoretical stuff, history to be exact.

Despite the elation that he felt at his earlier feats, it took almost all of Naruto's concentration to focus on the lesson. He tried, he really did, but Mizuki's tone of voice was such a drone that he found himself looking around out of boredom. Nothing good outside the window. The clock was ticking dreadfully slow. Hinata seemed mildly interesting, but she seemed to sense his gaze and become uncomfortable, so he glanced away. He yawned.

"Naruto!" said Mizuki-sensei mock-cheerfully, "Since you seem to know so much on the subject, maybe you can answer a few questions!"

Naruto cursed quietly. _This _always_ happens! Stupid attention span!_ "Er, sure sensei. Hit me."

There was a quiet snickering from the rest of the class, but the blond dutifully tuned them out.

"What were each of our Hokages known for?"

Naruto blinked. Did the white-haired man actually hate him, or did he give him an easy question on purpose? As a boy who one day wanted to become Hokage himself, Naruto made sure to ask the old man as much about them as he could.

"Oh. Er, well..." he wracked his brain, trying to remember the mnemonic that he'd made up. "Okay, so...the Shodaime was the 'Heart,' and he built Konoha along with some other guy. The Nidaime made up all the laws and stuff. Oh, and he also made up a lot of cool jutsu!" That one was easy to remember. "The Sandaime is still alive and is ruling for a second time. He trained...er, some team of guys, the Sannin. Real original, there. The Yondaime kicked a lot of ass in the last war, killed the Kyuubi and he looks kinda like me." He blinked. "Hey, wait a second..."

"V-very good," stammered Mizuki, surprised that the class clown knew enough for a competent answer, "Glad to see you've been paying attention to that much, at least."

"Of course!" barked Naruto, jumping to his feet and pointing determinedly at his teacher, "One day I'll be the Hokage too! And when you ask another student that question, they'll have to include me in that list!"

Everyone groaned. Hardly a week would go by without the class clown declaring his dream. Needless to say, it got old fast.

The only person who didn't scoff and roll their eyes was Hinata. The quiet girl merely remained seating, but she was looking up at Naruto with what seemed like a mixture of awe and admiration. When he looked at her properly, though, she just blushed and looked away again.

After that, the day passed without any more events. When class finally let out, Naruto was one of the first ones out. Normally, after that he would have made a beeline for Ichiraku's after pestering the old man a bit, but today was different. Instead, he went straight back to his apartment.

"Oi!" he called as he opened the door, "I'm back!"

Jee-Han, who was seated once more at the kitchen table, glanced up at him from the scroll he'd been reading. "Hey. What's up?"

Dimly, Naruto registered that the scroll was an old one from his room on the basics of chakra and its applications, but put it out of his mind for the moment. "Okay, so a lotta weird stuff happened today because of that power you gave me."

"Usually that's a good thing," the young man pointed out, returning to his examination of the scroll, "It's also pretty common with us Gamers. You mind being more specific?"

The blond nodded. "Well, when we had our Taijutsu spars, I got paired with that bastard Sasuke."

Jee-Han blinked at the language coming from a twelve year old, but said nothing.

"So when I got called on, this weird window popped up, something about a 'quest.'"

"Ah!" the man nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, Quests are pretty important. They're basically events that our power acknowledges as being important enough to announce. If you succeed, you're usually rewarded with Experience Points, or EXP for short, and sometimes something else. What was your quest?"

Shrugging, the blond said, "I had to beat Sasuke. The reward was a lot of…EXP, and apparently now Iruka-sensei respects me more? I dunno. Oh, but I also created three new Skills!"

"What?" Jee-Han's head snapped up, shock visible in his black eyes, "Three at once?! That's...well, really impressive. When I started out, I could only make one at a time. Granted, I didn't really fight all that much, but…" he broke off, realizing that he was rambling and chuckled. "Heh…you're really something, aren't you, kid? But anyway, what skills did you make?"

Naruto, who had been basking in the indirect praise that his new housemate had been giving him, came back to his senses. "Oh, right. Uh, I got this thing called 'Unarmed Mastery,' 'Kiai' and 'Power Strike.'"

Jee-Han smiled, as if remembering something. "Ah, good old Power Strike. That was one of the first ones I made too. I'm not surprised you got that from fighting; it's pretty simple to get and using it is pretty good. I always did wonder if you could use it without a weapon…"

"Eheh…yeah, all I got was that it lets me hit really hard," Naruto admitted sheepishly, "I didn't really get all the weird math stuff."

The older man's face sharpened into a stern look. "We'll have to fix that," he said seriously, making the boy sweat, "A great deal of the stuff that our power covers uses numbers. You need to know how to keep everything straight."

Naruto gulped.

"But anyway, what do you remember about that other skill, Kiai? I don't think I've run across that skill before."

"Ah, um," he wracked his brains, trying to remember, "There was a whole lot of percentages, but I think it…increases my S-T-R, whatever that is, does a lot of damage, but not as much as Power Strike, and there was something about a…er, chance to ignore an attack, or something. Oh, and it lasts 5 seconds!"

Frowning, Jee-Han nodded to himself. "Hm…with a duration on it, it sounds more like a buff than a straight attack. Interesting."

"Buff?"

Realizing his mistake, he explained, "Er, rather than being an actual attack, the skill makes your body stronger for a period of time. Oh, and STR stands for Strength. It's one of your Stats."

"Eh?" Naruto just looked more confused.

Sighing, Jee-Han rubbed at his temples. "…Okay, I'm going to teach you another big part of the Gamer power: Commands. First off, please say 'Status.'"

Tentatively, the blond complied. **"Status."**

Instantly a tan window sprang open in front of him, making him jump. On it, written plainly and neatly, were all sorts of words and numbers. Near the top were two bars, one red and one blue.

"Alright, so what does it say?"

Obediently, Naruto read the window out loud.

[Name: Uzumaki Naruto  
Class: Gamer  
Job: Konoha Academy Student  
Title: Yondaime's Legacy  
Level: 11  
Next Lv: 52.4%

Not noticing the numbers contained in the colored bars, he skipped them by accident.

STR: 20  
VIT: 32

He frowned, seeing another number there, but continued downward.

DEX: 16  
INT: 6  
WIS: 10  
LUK: 18  
Points: 5  
Money: 2,500 Ryo]

"What about your HP and MP?" asked Jee-Han, picking up a glass of water and frowning.

"My what?"

"The red and blue bars."

"Oh. Let's see…oh yeah, I see them now. My HP is 950 and my MP is 1550."

Halfway through taking a sip, Jee-Han registered the numbers and spat out a fine cloud of mist. "Gah- what?" he yelped, "Nine hundred HP? On a LEVEL 11?! And that amount of MP is impossible no matter how you look at it!"

"W-wait, what're you talking about?" sputtered Naruto, who had gotten sprayed by the water.

Jee-Han shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "Kid, when _I_ was at Lv. 11, my HP and MP weren't even half of that. Although…I wonder if there's something in your status…**Observe!"**

Naruto flinched, bracing himself for something, but felt nothing.

For a few minutes, nothing happened, but as the dark-haired man stared at something only he could see, the blond could see his eyebrows drawing together in a scowl. Finally, he sighed. "As I thought, you've got some powerful status effects on you. I wondered what was special about you…to think that it was something like you. Keheheh, I'm almost afraid to see what you'll become in the future."

"What is it?" Naruto demanded, irritated at the suspense.

Jee-Han grinned apologetically. "You've got three permanent Status Effects, but only two explain the mystery going on right now. The first is that this chakra stuff you have is used in your techniques, so the game says that it's your MP. However, it says that chakra is also sort of like your life force, so your VIT, or Vitality, increases your Max MP."

"I could've told you that," said Naruto simply, "I mean, not like that, but I know that stuff already, except the VIT thing."

"The second thing," the man continued, a tick mark appearing on his temple, "Is that your Uzumaki status gives you an additional 110% VIT, along with making you heal faster."

_That_ gave Naruto extreme pause. "What?" he asked, "You mean…Uzumaki is special? I thought it was just my name."

Jee-Han shrugged. "Well, the description says that you're from a clan that died out a long time ago. Didn't you know that?"

"What?! No! I never even heard that!" He paused. "By the way, what was that third status thingy?"

"Oh, something called 'Jinchuuriki.' It increases your regeneration on top of the Uzumaki stuff."

Naruto blinked. "Jinchuuriki? What's that?"

"How the hell should I know?" snapped Jee-Han. Then he rubbed his chin, looking at the ceiling. "Although, it might have to do with that Kyuubi thing being sealed in you. Hm?" He looked around just in time to see Naruto topple off his chair in a faint. "…Was it something I said?" he asked.

AN: I think I'll end it there. Wow, I managed to right a good amount here! Anyway, this ends Chapter 2 of CoG: Create New Character. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Summary time:  
1\. So Jee-Han gives Naruto the whole story off-screen. It's basically the same thing that Storia told Jee-Han, so I felt you didn't need to hear it again.  
2\. Understandably, Naruto is rather skeptical of the situation. However, that turns around once Jee-Han tells him what to expect.  
3\. The way I see it, that healing message upon waking up acts like an alarm clock of sorts. It only appears once you wake up.  
4\. Jee-Han gives Naruto a severely dumbed down version of what skills are. I think I did a good job here.  
5\. Naruto goes to the Academy while grinding Observe. Just so you folks know, counting the time he used it on Iruka, Observe's level is now at 5.  
6\. Naruto now knows Sasuke's stats, background and weaknesses.  
7\. He also manages to make a skill for Chakra Control. Better get that up to scratch quick.  
8\. Yes, I made up Mizuki's surname. Anyone even a little familiar with Japanese should recognize what it means.  
9\. I made both teacher's titles opposites of each other to reflect their natures. Fair Teacher for Iruka and Foul Teacher for Mizuki.  
10\. And yes, now Naruto knows about the Animal Cursed Seal. But he doesn't know anything _about_ it, so he doesn't realize that it shouldn't be there, so it's just a passing thing.  
11\. The spar against Sasuke is treated like a Quest. I felt that it would be a good way for Naruto to learn about them.  
12\. I hope that you enjoyed the fight, brief though it was.  
13\. Naruto certainly did, because he won. And Leveled Up. And learned 3 new skills.  
14\. Power Strike is, of course, from The Gamer canon. However, Jee-Han stops using it after it hits level 3, so we don't get to see how powerful it can get. Needless to say, Naruto is not Jee-Han.  
15\. In the meantime, Unarmed Mastery and Kiai are original skills. Unarmed Mastery functions similar to other Mastery-type Passives, and Kiai is an Active Buff. While it doesn't seem like much now, it has the potential to become extremely dangerous, like The Gamer power in general.  
16\. Despite being a, let's face it, idiot in canon, I feel that Naruto would commit anything about the Hokage to heart.  
17\. Sometimes it takes saying something out loud to really acknowledge it. Naruto said that Minato looks like him as a joke, but then he's like 'wait a sec, he really does.' This will most likely be addressed in the next chapter.  
18\. Hina-chan is crushing bad. It's adorbs, yo.  
19\. More exposition with Jee-Han, though it's all over the place, I admit.  
20\. Jee-Han is displeased by Naruto's lack of mathematical knowledge.  
21\. Naruto learns about the Status command, but misses a few things the first time through.  
22\. So Naruto has a huge amount of HP, MP and VIT.  
23\. Jee-Han knows about the Kyuubi (and the Uzumaki clan) from reading the description when he used Observe on Naruto. Just to be clear, he didn't actually use it in the previous chapter.

Oh, and about the level thing? I raised them from how they used to be in Chapter 1. Now all the Academy students are levels 13-14, with Sasuke being Lv. 15 and Naruto starting off at Lv. 10 because of his Dead Last status.

So, here is Naruto's new profile (current)

Class: Gamer  
Job: Konoha Academy Student  
Title: Yondaime's Legacy  
Level: 11  
Next Lv: 52.4%

HP: 950 (Regeneration 5% +12%)  
MP: 1550 (Regeneration 5% +15%)  
STR: 20  
VIT: 32 +35.2 (+110%)  
DEX: 16  
INT: 6  
WIS: 10  
LUK: 18  
Stat Points: 5

Status:  
[Uzumaki]: +110% VIT, HP and MP regen both start at 5%.  
[Chakra]: VIT increases Max MP. In cases of insufficient MP, HP may be used to fuel Skills.  
[Jinchuuriki]: Allows the use of Bijuu Chakra. Increases HP and MP regen

Background: Born to Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto is a member of the nearly-extinct Uzumaki clan, who are known for their powerful life-force and extra-potent chakra. Naruto possesses the ability to use the energy known as chakra. From birth, Uzumaki Naruto had the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed within him, making him the Third Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

Emotions: Shock, Excitement, Confusion


End file.
